Still My Name

Howard Lake kid with some dirt on his shoes,

Good at a ballgame, better at breaking the rules.

Raised a little stubborn, learned to stand my ground,

If life wanted a fight, I wasn’t backing down.

Dropped that welding hood, made a living in sparks,

Cleaned a thousand carpets, put in days after dark.

Never thought a job had to sound impressive to me,

If my family needed something, I became what I needed to be.

I’ve had good years.

I’ve had years that changed me.

But every morning that sun came up—

so did I.

Life took some things,

but it never took my name.

Never took the man I am,

never put out that flame.

I worked, I raised my kids,

I stood when standing wasn’t easy.

Got knocked around enough

to know what really means something to me.

I’m still stubborn.

Still sarcastic.

Still don’t tolerate a fool.

Still got a soft heart

I ain’t real good at showing you.

If I had to live it over,

I’d change some things along the way—

But I’m damn proud of the man

that’s still carrying my name.

These days give me garden rows straight in the dirt,

A fishing line out where the damn phone don’t work.

Twins on the screen, Huskies playing downtown,

Vikings finding brand-new ways of letting Minnesota down.

I don’t need everybody trying to get inside my space,

I learned who belongs there and who needs to know their place.

Call me hard-headed—hell, you’re probably right,

But the ones I call family know I’ll show up every time.

And then there was Buck, my kid brought him home one day,

Out of nowhere, somehow that dog was meant to stay.

Remi and Bella became family just the same,

Funny how a good dog finds a place beside your name.

And after all those years

I thought maybe this was it—

Just work, come home,

learn to live with what life gives.

Then Leah came along

and got underneath that shell.

Now May eighth is coming—

And life’s looking pretty damn good as well.

Life took some things,

but look what it couldn’t take:

My family, my pride,

every honest living that I made.

These hands still work,

this heart still cares,

and I’m still standing here.

And somehow after everything,

the road ahead looks pretty damn clear.

Give me land someday,

no neighbors anywhere around.

Garden in the back,

a fishing hole outside of town.

Leah by my side,

family knowing they can call.

Maybe I didn’t win every round—

But I sure as hell survived them all.

Howard Lake made me.

Life tested me.

Family gave me something worth fighting for.

Saturday, May eighth—

another chapter starts.

And after all these years?

I’m still Michael.

I’m still here.

And I’m proud of that.